When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

A Lincolnshire girl’s dream of walking has moved a step closer after an anonymous person donated a staggering £6,500 she needs to pay for life-changing surgery.

Little Leonie Hadley-Wilkinson, 6, has been unable to walk, sit up or weight-bear on her legs all of her life after being diagnosed with quadriplegia cerebral palsy when she was barely a year old.

But the Louth schoolgirl is determined to walk like any other child her age and has been told she might be able to do just that if she has an operation to divide nerve fibres which run from her muscles to her spinal cord which should reduce the stiffness her muscles.

Read More

Related Articles

Her family launched a campaign to raise the money, backed by Lincolnshire Co-op. An anonymous donor has now paid the remaining £6,500 they needed to hit the fundraising target, leaving the family overjoyed.

Leonie desperately wants to walk

“When the hospital rang me I burst into tears,” said Leonie's mum, Vicky Hadley, who does not know the identity of the mystery donor.

“When someone does something like that, you don’t know how to react.

“I am overwhelmed with feeling and emotions – it just shows that there are kind people in this world.

“I never thought it would happen – it is just incredible.

“I hope one day that person who donated the money will come forward and I just hope that wherever they are, they can see just what they are doing for my daughter.

“I will be forever grateful for what they and everyone else who has donated has done.”

The procedure is not a guaranteed success and will need to be followed by years of costly, intensive physiotherapy.

Leonie when she was a baby

Vicky added: “I am keeping an open mind, but Leonie is such a determined, little girl,” she said.

“Sometimes she will say ‘I will go and get it’ and I will watch her move along the floor with her head. It is heart-breaking and still is – it is the only movement she has got.

“It will depend on what she can do with her body and how much she can push herself.

Get involved with our #LoveLincs campaign

Lincolnshire Live has joined forces with Lincolnshire Co-op to run a joint campaign, called #LoveLincs, to highlight what's great about our county and the people who live here.

And we want you all to get involved!

We want you to tell us about all the people who work so hard to make Lincolnshire what it is – whether that’s someone who is brilliant at their job, a tireless volunteer, or simply someone who does something generous, like regularly checking on an elderly neighbour or running down the road to return a wallet someone has dropped.

How you can help us celebrate what's great about Lincolnshire

All you need to do is get in touch with us – and we’ll get the word out.

You can do this by messaging us via our Lincolnshire Live page on Facebook or simply emailing us at news@lincolnshireecho.co.uk making it clear that you want to contribute to the #LoveLincs campaign.

And we've also launched a facebook group for people to share their positive stories about the county and the people in it. That group can be found by clicking on this link.

Help us shout about what you love about Lincolnshire!

“We need to stop the pain in her movement of her limbs and make moving easier.

“It isn’t getting easier. She is growing and her legs are getting longer and I can see her in pain which is heartbreaking.

“I will always have hope. As the years go by and new things come out – I will always believe."

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy

The symptoms of cerebral palsy aren't usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable during the first two or three years of a child's life.

Symptoms can include:

delays in reaching development milestones – for example, not sitting by eight months or not walking by 18 months

seeming too stiff or too floppy

weak arms or legs

fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements

random, uncontrolled movements

walking on tip-toes

a range of other problems – such as swallowing difficulties, speaking problems, vision problems and learning disabilities

The severity of symptoms can vary significantly. Some people only have minor problems, while others may be severely disabled.

Treatments include:

physiotherapy – techniques such as exercise and stretching to help maintain physical ability and hopefully improve movement problems

speech therapy to help with speech and communication, and swallowing difficulties

occupational therapy – where a therapist identifies problems that you or your child have carrying out everyday tasks, and suggests ways to make these easier

medication for muscle stiffness and other difficulties

in some cases, surgery to treat movement or growth problems

All information courtesy of NHS

A price for the physiotherapy has not been set – but with specialists unavailable in Lincolnshire and Ms Hadley unable to commit to travelling, she is hoping a SDR physiotherapist will now come forward to help the family.

“I thought I might be able to do the physio myself, but I can’t. I just don’t have the equipment.

“The specialists are in London and Leeds. I work and have a mortgage so I can’t be spending all that time down south.

“We need people to still keep donating and to help the funding for the aftercare.

“If it happens it will be a miracle, but I will never give up. She is my daughter and I will try anything.”